The Truth
by WWBMForever
Summary: Well after a long hiatus. I wrote this one shot. Just a look at Damian and Diana's relationship.


The words echo through Diana's mind, over and over like a chant….like a horrid mantra that she can't seem to let go of. It would be easier if the words weren't true. That is what gives them their true power. The bitterness behind them would be meaningless without the truth. The hate behind the green eyes of the ten year old makes them that much worse. Normally, she wouldn't let the opinion of another bother her….but that's just it. It's not Damian's opinion. It is pure fact. She punches the bag in the gym, the sheer force of the hit causing it to break loose from the chain. She looked up to see the dark blue eyes of her lover and gives an exasperated sigh, "I'll fix it in a minute."

She really thought things had been going well. She was truly happy, and she was slowly getting through to the young boy. It had been almost a year. He would be eleven soon, and yet not much seemed to have changed in their relationship….well that wasn't true. They both went for walks with Titus in the evenings. She had introduced him to Jumpa. She had practiced sword fighting with him….had relocated his shoulder on more than one occasion. The relationship had changed, but his acknowledgment of that evolution was minimal at best. Bruce stopped her assault on his equipment, taking her hand into his. She was still amazed how his touch could ground her so easily. She took his head and closed her eyes as she tilted her head up to the heavens, in silent contemplation. He didn't say anything, allowing her to decide if she wanted to have this conversation. She finally let out a shaky breath, "Your son's an ass."

This earned a light chuckle from Bruce as she thought back to the fight earlier that day. She normally wouldn't have stepped into the role of parent. It was a role she still wasn't sure about filling with Damian, but the school had called and she was available.

 _Diana walked into the principal's office, a warrior ready to defend her own. Bruce was still in a meeting with Lucius and she had been listed as Damian's emergency contact. It was Bruce's little way of making her a part of his son's life, and she hadn't had to use it until now. She stared down the principal as he explained that Damian had gotten into a fight. She rubbed her temples as she looked over to the boy who sat smugly with a smirk, the other boy with a bloodied nose. The boy looked to be several years younger than Damian, but his eyes held such fear that she wondered what the young Wayne heir had done to instill that kind of fear in someone._

" _Mr. Landsing, I assure you that Damian's father and I do not condone physical acts of aggression in our home. We will speak with Damian about using his words and being more diplomatic in his conflicts," Diana kept an even tone as she gave Damian a look that would have caused most men to look away in shame._

 _The boy just stared right back, just as smug, "Tt."_

" _That's another problem, Miss Prince. His attitude. He has smarted off to many a teacher…..correcting them….questioning their credentials. He has been a menace since day one," the principal glared at the boy which resulted in him receiving another eye roll._

 _Diana stood now, feeling angry at what this man was implying, "I know Damian has his opinions, but he is hardly a menace. I also know that Damian is very intelligent and needs to be stimulated by his curriculum or he can become bored and uninterested."_

 _The principal now stood as well, shrinking slightly under the glare of Diana, "We are a prestigious school. I know his father gives a lot of money here, but that does not mean he is special and will get his own curriculum. It also doesn't mean that your son can just got hitting other students. I don't care if he says he was defending someone else. That's not how we do things here. I suggest you control your boy."_

" _I'm not her boy," Damian snarled_

" _Dam—" he interrupted her before she could say anything._

" _Look, can I go home now. I'll talk with father and I am sure he will come up with some punishment that makes Mr. Lansing happy. I don't know why they even called you. You're not my mother."_

Diana opened her eyes, now meeting Bruce's gaze as they stood in the cave together. She felt sure he had found out what happened one way or another since he was coming to check on her, "You can talk to me all you want, Bruce. It doesn't make what he said any less true."

"Princess," he gave her a small smile, brushing a lock of ebony hair from her face, hating all the hurt an anger that her baby blue orbs held in this moment.

"Well, well, beloved. I hate to interrupt a moment," both looked up to see Talia al Ghul emerge from the shadows. She walked into the cave as if she owned the place. Something Diana personally hated, "You're security has improved."

Bruce scowled, stepping back from Diana to face Talia. In another life, they could have had a future, but not now. After all Talia has done….after how she used her own son against him, "Clearly not enough. What do you want?"

Talia stalked across the floor of the cave like a lioness about to devour her prey, "It's simple really. Damian has failed his mission. He was supposed to come here and defeat your last Robin. Kill the only other blood heir and take his place. Father is most displeased. I feared he would be tainted coming here. There is only one solution. He must return and be re-trained."

Diana snarled at the mention of defeating Tim. Damian had nearly killed the young teen in their first fight. It only angered her more that Talia had also planned for him to kill her daughter; however, Damian had never tried to do that. He tolerated his sister better than he did anyone else in the family, except for maybe Dick. Bruce now spoke up, "Damian stays here."

"You don't have a say this time, Beloved. He is returning," Talia stood her ground, staring down Bruce.

"Do I not get a say in this, Mother?" Damian now walked down the stairs of the cave. He had heard his mother arrive, "What if I want to stay?"

Talia scoffed, "You are my son and you will do as you are told."

Damian shook his head, coming closer to her, "But was I even that mother. You created me in a test tube and the second that you thought I was flawed you created a clone to try and kill me. Now what, you want to take me back and wipe me clean. I like it here. I want to be Robin. I want to stay with father. I am his son…..and you….you have never been a mother to me."

"Insulant little—" Talia raised her arm.

He readied himself for the hit, but it never came. He looked up in awe to see Diana holding Talia's arm firmly in her grip, squeezing tightly. He could have sworn he heard a snap before Diana pushed the other woman back several feet, "You will not lay a hand on my son."

Damian didn't know what to make of that in this moment. Diana had been his father's lover and basically his wife. She had been there since before he was there. She was the mother of his sister, and when he saw the way she loved the others….it made him sometimes wish he wasn't an al Ghul. He noted the look of determination in Diana's eyes. She was not going to let Talia anywhere near him. He was surprised that his mother backed down. Talia gave one long threatening glare before retreating to tend to her wounds. He now looked to Diana and scoffed, "That kid I punched at school….he was giving the twerp a hard time. I took care of it."

Diana shook her head, maybe there was a heart in there after all, "We can talk about it later….maybe when we walk Titus."

Damian gave her a genuine smile in that moment. He would never admit how much he loved their afternoon walks, especially after he learned that Diana could talk to animals. He loved knowing just was Titus was thinking. He honestly liked having Diana in his life, and seeing her defend him like that just reaffirmed the relationship they had been forming, "Sounds good, Mom."

He didn't look to her for confirmation of her new name, and honestly he didn't need it. For now they could both exist in their own version of the truth.


End file.
